Have you ever heard of a butter-less butter tart? Well, if you’re ever going to be introduced to one, of course it will be here on this blog — where else, right? ;) Nope, not a spec of dairy-free butter in there, no margarine or oil, no refined sugar, no dairy, no eggs, and no gluten… But, yes, these vegan butter tarts are real — I promise! ..and real simple to make too.
You see, butter tarts are kind of a quintessential little treat around these parts. They’re stocked at almost any Canadian grocery store, they’re proudly displayed in bakery windows and cafes… Actually the nearest town to where I used to live a few years back (located in the middle of nowhere) only had about 5 shops total(!), and one of them was a butter tart shop! That’s how serious Canadians can be when it comes to butter tarts. Making them at home is also quite popular, though I have to admit I always just bought in the past since they are so ubiquitous…
So they’ve been on my Canadian-Classics-to-Tackle list for a while, but somehow never a priority because I’ve been trying to keep away from dairy-free butters altogether (or at least as much as possible) in my recipes. In the back of my mind it seemed like some kind of butter substitute would need to be involved in the making of a vegan butter tart. But then… I was working on this maple pie recipe one week and realized it actually was sooo close to a butter tart — suddenly I saw the light and realized I can do this without the butter…. and some experiments ensued…
Now, when I mentioned that they are quite close to that maple pie — I mean it! The only real difference between maple pie and butter tarts is that they are meant to be a touch less maple-flavored (so I substituted some of the maple for coconut nectar / agave, but still containing enough of the maple to have its signature, velvety flavor in there). Also (for the uninitiated), butter tarts usually involve raisins or pecans… or sometimes crushed walnuts, though I never went for that kind, myself.
It’s also typically pretty difficult to find a bakery butter tart or a butter tart recipe without corn syrup, but in this recipe — none!
So if you are a butter tart aficionado, one difference with this recipe: the top doesn’t get the signature crispy layer in the same way as the dairy/sugar variety, but honestly it’s hardly noticeable to me and I’m just happy I get to have butter tarts again. Plus, if you sprinkle your tarts with finely chopped pecans you wouldn’t know the difference. The trade off is: BUTTER TARTS, sans butter, gluten, refined sugar, and corn syrup… So so long as you’re willing to accept that teensy little hitch, the rest is pure (gluten-free & vegan) butter tart magic…
Vegan Butter Tarts
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 5-6
Category: Tarts
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Dessert
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Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 6 tbsp white rice flour
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/16 tsp salt
Filling Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp crushed pecan pieces or raisins
- ⅓ cup coconut cream (scooped out of a can of full fat coconut milk chilled overnight*)
- 4 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp + 1½ tsp coconut nectar (or agave. Can also just use all maple for a stronger maple flavor)
- 1 tbsp + 1½ tsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- just under an ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Oil a 6-cup muffin pan and set aside.
- Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to form a ball (note if the mixture is too runny, add a bit more flour, if too dry, add a bit more maple syrup. It should be very very soft and pliable but not sticky — so you can form it easily into a ball with your hands). Form the mixture into a ball and knead briefly. Divide into 5-6 parts (you can make 6 shorter cups or 5 taller ones — like mine). Place the dough inside each muffin cup and form into a crust along the base and walls with your fingers. Sprinkle the base evenly with the crushed pecan pieces or raisins (in filling ingredients). Set aside.
- Place all remaining filling ingredients in a small blender (I used my magic bullet) and process until smooth. Warm the mixture slightly by transferring it into a glass cup and placing the glass cup into a bowl half-filled with very hot water. Let the mixture warm up for a few minutes, then give it a stir.** Once gently warmed, divide this mixture between the cups (pouring it over the pecans / raisins). (Note: it will be very liquid at this stage — that is normal. It will set as it bakes).
- Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Cool thoroughly to set before (ideally overnight or at least a few hours, or enjoy carefully after cooling for a bit if you prefer them warm and gooey — just be careful, that filling will be HOT!). Enjoy!
Notes
*Note: it’s very important to chill the can first ahead of time, ideally overnight, so that the white cream layer separates from the water in the can. You only want to scoop out that firm white layer of cream, and leave all the water behind for other uses (or discard). I also recommend using Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk here — I’ve had the best results with it for these types of recipes.
**The reason for gently warming up the mixture at this stage is that sometimes if it’s too cold it can bake differently as a result, creating a sort of milky / creamy filling that’s different to the texture and look of a butter tart.
Happy baking!
x Audrey
This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com for products used to make the recipe.
Hi Audrey,
Do you know the nutritional value of these tarts? I’m a type 2 diabetic who loves butter tarts but obviously I have to watch my sugar intake.
Cheers,
Kim
Hi, is 6 TBSP correct for the white rice flour? It doesn’t seem like a lot to make 6 tarts. Thanks for any info.
Hi Michelle, ok, so since you’re the 3rd or 4th person to ask about the crust and whether it’s enough to make 5-6 tarts, I just went and baked them again to re-measure everything to make sure the recipe is correct just to be safe. And yes, confirming that it is. If you wanted to make more tarts though (since the recipe either makes 6 short ones or 5 taller ones) or if you wanted the crust to be thicker you can definitely make more of it. But the amount currently listed is correct.
I took some photos in the process to show you what I do, how thick the dough is, etc., and what things look like at different stages just in case it helps anyone else with that question down the road.
So just starting out, I divided the dough into 5 balls. I then first flatten them into a disk (shaping with fingers) to thin it out a bit before putting them into the muffin pan. So here you see 3 rolled balls, one in the flattened state, and one already shaped into a tart shell in the pan (5 total):
Here you can see what it should look like when that flattened disk is added to the pan initially (it’s the one on the right):
Then I just push and form it around the edges with my fingers to create a tall shell, like so:
When all 5 are done, this is what I get:
Add the nuts… and you go onto the filling from there:
This is for the option of making the tarts taller, which means you end up with 5 tarts total. You can also divide the dough into 6 balls to make 6 shorter tarts, like Janel did in the video for this recipe which you can watch in the post above. Either way, plenty of dough here :)
Hi Audrey,
Would it possible if i could just bake the pie crust without filling.How long will it take to bake if I do?
Hi Shirin, yes, you can. I use this pie crust as a cookie base sometimes and the cookies take 6-10 minutes to bake usually (depending on size). So with the pie crust, it’ll depend on how thick you make it. I would start with the aim of baking for 10 minutes and then just keep and eye on it until it looks nicely golden and to make sure it doesn’t burn around the edges. Keep in mind it’ll firm up a bit more after cooling on a rack for a few minutes. If at that point it seems a bit soft still, you can always return it to the oven and bake a little longer as needed.
Turns out you don’t have to be Canadian to love butter tarts! These are so good. Like another of your readers, I didn’t have enough dough to make five or six cups, but the four I was able to make were delicious. When I used to like to travel, I did go to Canada, but these weren’t on my radar. Now they are, thanks to you!
★★★★★
Hi Ellen, So glad you loved these :) I think they’re popular in parts of the US too, but for some reason they’re “a thing” here.
Strange about the dough — I don’t know what’s going on there, except that maybe I roll mine out thinner or don’t make them as tall? I did notice another person mentioned it. I guess making more of the dough is a good alternative though. I’m glad it was an easy fix. I’ll keep it in mind now that a few people mentioned it and see if anything needs to be tweaked in the future.
Fabulous, Incredible! I did have to make another batch of dough to use up half of the filling that was not able to fit into the first batch. 6 T of flour with the other liquid-type ingredients hardly amounts to much. I also had to take them out at 20 minutes in my 350 degree oven, or else they got too cooked/dark. Either way this is a delicious recipe and I will make it again with adjustments!
★★★★★
Hi Monica, thanks so much for sharing your feedback — it always helps to hear people’s experiences with the recipes. I’m glad you enjoyed these. I find the dough is usually enough, though it might be I roll mine thinner and shorter? Since another person mentioned the same, I’ll have a look at the recipe and see if it might need to be readjusted.
This sounds wonderful–but I don’t understand how crushed the pecan pieces should be—like crushed into pecan flour?
Hi Ellen, they should just be chopped small-ish. You can see how the chopped pecans look in the video — so that’s the rough size they should be.
I have a quick question for you! I really want to try these but I am just not a huge fan of pecans (something about the texture) would almonds be a good replacement? Or is there another nut that you think would work here?
I am a southerner so it is almost blasphemy that I don’t like pecans. Oops! Haha
Hi Emily, oh that’s funny — I love pecans, but I get ya. Sometimes they’re made with chopped walnuts, which I think would be the next best substitute. I think almonds would be fine too, although they’re a bit of a harder nut and a softer type of nut (like pecans, walnuts, etc.) works a little bit better texture-wise. People also often make them with raisins and no nuts at all. So you have options :)
How do I print this recipe for butter tarts, don’t see a print button?
Hi Sherri. That’s strange, I see a print button in the recipe card. I wonder if there’s a technical issue of some kind — are you not seeing this button?
These are so good, I’ve already made them twice this week! My only difference was I did not have cashew butter on hand so I replaced with almond butter. I also used 1/2 cup of coconut milk, which gave me A LOT of syrup filling, so I just doubled the dough and made a bunch of little tarts. My hubby said these are better than butter tarts 😁 Thanks for the delicious recipe!! 🍮
★★★★★
I’m so happy about your husband’s comment :) That’s the best feedback. So glad you’re enjoying these.
Honestly I have never commented on a recipe before… That being said Oh my goodness these are amazing! I’ve recently had food sensitivity testing done and now I must eat vegan treats/baked goods/sweets. I was teased by the sight of maple pecan tarts all week at work and I was determined to find a recipe that wasn’t ‘raw’. I made the filling using honey instead of coconut nectar as I ran out but it turned out great! I tried the filling raw and thought this is sweet and tardy but not buttery, my was I wrong! When it bakes it bubbles like a traditional butter tart, it’s truly magic how the mix actually tastes buttery in the end!!! I can’t stop thinking or talking about these! My only issue was I had to turn down my oven as they browned too fast. I also wish they were a bit less gummy-I will try a slightly lesser amount of tapioca next time. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Kim, thanks so much for sharing — I totally know what you mean, you wouldn’t think that filling will turn into what it is when it bakes (magic!). I think you can definitely get away with lessening the tapioca a little if you prefer — if you give that a try, I’d love to hear how that turns out. I’m so happy you got to satisfy that butter tarts craving in a way that’s more in line with your new diet! :)
These are baking right now so I can’t comment on the taste. However I found there was more filling than there was enough dough for tarts? Not quite sure what I did wrong but I still look forward to eating them!
Hi Jill. Hmmm.. Not sure why there would be more filling! There should be just enough for the 6, but having too much filling is better than not having enough at least ;) I hope you enjoyed them nonetheless.
Hi Jill, so I know where I went wrong — I forgot that when I measured the filling ingredients I didn’t use the 1/4 cup pecans, hence I could fit a lot more filling. I just adjusted the recipe to have the correct amount of filling. Thanks for pointing it out.
Hey, I dared it.. my first recipe test with you.. we are on a butter tart roll over here in Berlin, Germany and I was adamant about a vegan version. I love the taste of these, although they taste completely different, I find. But heavenly… the crust I found a bit too crumbly while working it and bit dry when eating. More like a cookie, but as I said.. a heavenly one
★★★★
Hi Susanne. Thanks for sharing — I’m glad you’re enjoying these :)
These look AMAZING and I love the simple ingredients! Can these be left out at room temperature, or do they need to be refrigerated?
Hi Alyssa. They can be left out at room temperature. I just like to keep mine refrigerated so they last a bit longer and also because I like them a bit chilled, but it’s just a personal preference. Enjoy!
Delicious! This recipe was exactly what I was looking for and it turned out really well. For the filling I didn’t have coconut nectar so I added some coconut sugar and the result was great. Thanks
★★★★★
Hi Deborah — so happy you liked it. And I’m glad to know coconut sugar works as a sub here :) Thank you for sharing.
These tarts are delicious, I just made some! Although my filling didn’t brown anywhere close to the colour of yours. I had to take them out of the oven so the crust didn’t burn. Any ideas where I went wrong?
Hmmm… interesting. Well I’m glad you liked them :)
About the burning, do you know if your oven temperature is accurate? Most ovens fluctuate quite wildly, so you’d only know if you use an oven thermometer (they’re like $5 at walmart, etc.). Assuming you followed the recipe exactly, it sounds like maybe yours is a little on the hotter side, in which case I’d set the temp slightly lower next time. Also, make sure the crust walls aren’t much higher than the filling so that they aren’t exposed for as long. Otherwise I don’t think it matters much tbh — so long as they taste good, the color is by addition :)
It turned out great! We will be making it. It was a dish the whole family loves.
★★★★★
That’s awesome — so happy to hear everyone enjoyed them :) Thank you for sharing!
Is there another flour that be used in place of white rice flour? I just try to avoid white rice if at all possible. These look amazing by the way:)
Hi Sheryll, you can try oat flour, brown rice flour, or millet, etc. I tried it with sorghum — it works overall, which makes me think that most gf grains will work, but I didn’t enjoy the texture as much as with a very finely ground white flour which is why I recommended it in the end. Let me know if you give it a go with another grain — I’d love to hear what you think.
I’ve never had a buttered butter tart or a butter-less butter tart. I’ve also never used the word butter that many times in one sentence before I don’t think :D But it looks like sweet caramelized bliss! Like caramel in a cute little cup of a crust. I am quite enjoying this Canadian kick, I’m learning about all sorts of new sweets :)
Hehe. Yes, I know — I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a butter tart in the US, though I’m sure they exist :) But here they’re like a staple. Basically a flakey / cookie crust with a caramelized warm sweet gooey filling… hard not to like… I think I’ve run out of Canadian things to talk about though — at least for a few days… ;)
Oh. My. Gosh Audrey!!! Amazing! Wow! I am so making these ASAP. It’s super weird because I was just taking a short work trip with a colleague and he pointed out this tiny little bakery in a tiny little Canadian town and said they had won the province’s competition for best butter tart and that I had to try them. I said I was impressed but inside knew I would probably never have a butter tart again (insert sad gaze out the window here). And then low and behold, you’ve done it! Well done!!! Cannot wait to try these :)
★★★★★
Oh, now that’s funny — Canadians really take their butter tarts quite seriously!:D Glad I could help you out here :)